as in ignoring
to dismiss as of little importance
for too long the school just winked at the young athletes' hooliganism, dismissing it as a case of "boys being boys"
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for winking (at)
Verb
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This authoritarian apparatus has relied on mass killings to ensure its survival while ignoring the basic and inalienable rights of citizens—including the fundamental right to seek change in the political system.—
Anne Thompson,
IndieWire,
17 Feb. 2026 -
Similar to Gray’s case, the Crumbleys were charged for ignoring warning signs that their children could be capable of violence and allowing their children access to guns.—
Jozsef Papp,
AJC.com,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Batwing sleeves and a loose, forgiving shape leave plenty of extra fabric to cozy into, but ribbing around the entrance of the sleeves creates a snug fit to prevent cold air from touching your skin.—
Merrell Readman,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Feb. 2026
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Venus in Pisces is all that and more — encouraging people to be forgiving and sacrificing for others.—
Lisa Stardust,
Refinery29,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Japan romantics may be overlooking some clear drawbacks, however, including the 30 years of economic struggles that followed the bursting of a truly epic bubble in the 1990s.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
5 Feb. 2026
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The centerpiece of the 13-acre-plus parkland is a curved bridge overlooking a savanna, allowing elephants to walk under guests.—
Todd Martens,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The software simulates wind passing over the avatar, computational fluid dynamics calculate how much resistance there is — and how tweaking a skater’s form alters that.—
Howard Fendrich,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Feb. 2026
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Alarmists will often focus on the negative while passing over potential positive outcomes.—
Jeff Mayhugh,
Washington Post,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
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And Page [McConnell]is sitting backstage with him in one of the dressing rooms explaining that.—
Alison Weinflash,
Rolling Stone,
18 Feb. 2026
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Beyond Herrington, current Amazon CEO Andy Jassy has prioritized teaching and explaining Bezos’s principles internally, even launching video explanations of each one to help employees interpret them.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Senate Republicans plan to vote on a government funding package as soon as Thursday, shrugging off Democrats’ vows to filibuster the legislation unless DHS funding is removed and amended after two fatal Minnesota shootings.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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Stocks closed higher on Monday, shrugging off a dip earlier in the day after reports of the DOJ probe into Powell.—
Max Zahn,
ABC News,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
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If lawmakers are serious about affordability and homeownership, this is the structural reform that actually solves the problem rather than papering over it.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
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Dee Winters undercut a pass and returned it 74 yards for a game-sealing score, papering over a shaky performance by the 49ers’ defense.—
Michael Nowels,
Mercury News,
23 Dec. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Winking (at).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/winking%20%28at%29. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
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